Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-04-30
IN THE SUGAR CAMP.
by JULIA A. SABINE.
CHAPTER II.


last "cold snap" of the season.
Spring came on rapidly after that.
The singing school closed with
grand concert which put a pretty lit
tie sum into the masters pocket.
Norman Cheelis had his two sugar
places in operation, they being virtu-
ally but one, since it was all one
piece of woods and even the fence,
which once marked the ordinary line
between the farms, had been mostly
pulled down. He was having fa-
nous "run of sap. Daily he car
ried carts Of syrup to the Dunlap
house, and consulted with Hetty as to
clarifying and sugaring of, and all
the details of the sweet process. But
he made no progress toward getting
his hearts desire. A barrier seemed
to have risen between them, and he
felt that he was indeed losing ground.
Thornell, ed.from the care of his
singing school, was at the farm con-
stantly. He was singing or playing
with Hetty and reading poetry to
her every day and frequently, at
dusk, they walked to the sugar camp
together, driving poor Norman near
ly wild with jealousy.
Cant we have sugaring OFF,"
asked Hettty on one of her visits to
the sugar place. Don't you think
it would be nice, Norman We can
have a whole load of people from the
village, and Abbie and l can cook up
LOT of things, and We'll eat hot SUI
gar out here in the woods and have
supper in the camp"
Norman was in such a frame of
mind that if Hetty had asked him to
lie down and let her walk over him,
he would have done it unhesitating-
ly. So, although the poor fellow felt
little enough like merrymaking, he
assented and began making plans for
the frolic at once. And so it happen
ed that, a few days later, the sugar
camp rang with merry voices of
young people, and a gay throng
walked about among the grand old
trees.
Mrs. Dunlap had negatived the
proposition to eat supper in the woods.
"No, no." she said, "eat your sugar
and doughnuts up there if you like,
but when it comes to regular meals,
you want to have 'em where you can
sit down to a table and be comforta-
ble."
So Martha Jackson, the "help,"
and Mrs. Dunlap gave up the day to
the preparation of an ample meal,
and Abbie Chellis sent over her own
hired girl in the afternoon to lend q
hand, knowing that there would be
nothing for her to do at home. And
so it happened that the Chellis house
was closed and left alone.
The young people were gay and
happy. Never was clear amber syr
up so delicious, never did it wax sc
delightfully."- on such clear, white
snow. The doughnuts, which Abbie
and Hetty had fried to eat with the
hot sugar, antidote to too much
sweetness, were crisp and light
Everything was as it should be. A
casual looker-on would not have
thought that any heavy hearts Were
hidden in that laughing crowd, bu
Norman Chellis was utterly wretched
the singing. master was i'll at ease
and even Hetty Dunlap's merrimen
was little forced.
The sugar camp lay in little val
ley, sloping to the east, lying behint
the Chellis and Dunlap farm-houses
and about midway between them
A low hill on the north hid the Chel
lis farmhouse, and another on tn,
south, the home Of the Dunlaps
Foot-paths leading over these hill
made "short cuts" to the houses
while the cart road, going straigh
down to the highway, was a mucl
longer route.
Tho day wore on and it was nearl'
dusk when Hetty and Mr.. Thornel
drew away from the merry grouI
and sat down on the trunk of a fallel
tree, apart from the others. Nor
man Chellis watched them modify
Poor fellow, his heart was sore. II
had hardly had chance to speak t
Hetty all day. He could not concea
from himself that she had avoidet
him. And now to see her so willin
accord to his rival what was denie,
to him, was more than he could bear
In the dim light he could see Thor
nell wrap her shawl more closel
lbOut her and draw much naoror no